Journal-bearing



FIG. MEYER AND B. F WHEELER.

JOURNALBEARING. I APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23.19l8.

Patented Deg. 2, 1919 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED G. MnYEanN-n BENJAMIN F. WHEELER, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

JOURNAL-BEARING.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that we, FRED G. MEYER and BENJAMIN I F. Vlr'nnnmm, citizens of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and Stateof. Michigan, have invented a new and useful Journal- .Bearing, of which the following is' a specification.

This invention relates to journal bearings and more particularly to the two-part bearings of connecting rods for engaging the crank-shafts of internal'combustion engi'nes.

The stresses which act at the point of engagement oi a connecting rod and crankshaft are of such nature as to subject the connecting rod bearing to considerable wear, this being especially true in the case, of explosive engines wherein the connecting'rod bearing is subjected to a rapid succession of yiolent impulses. To provide for taking' up the wear in such bearings it is common practice to initially inter-pose between'the two parts of the bearing a number of thin metal washers or shims which act as spacers tomaintain a proper working relation between the bearing parts. \Vith this method compensation for wear is made from timeto time by removing a sufficient number of the 'shims to take up the lost motion. Each time that such an adjustment is made the engine is put out of use and a consider able expense for skilled labor is involved. linrthermore, the shim method of-adjustment does not as rule permit a high degree of accuracy in adjustment, since often a -redu'ction in the clearance between the bearing surfaces equal to the thickness of; a

. single shim will cause binding through loss of concentric uniformity in the worn surfaces, while failure to make such reduction fully will allow the crank-shaft a slight play, resulting in the early necessity of another adjustment.

It is the object of the present inventionto eliminate the 'afore-mentioned defects by providing a self-adjusting bearing having a special applicationto connecting rods, the 7 construction being such that compensation for wear will be made continuously and automaticallyns the wear takes place during operation, thus reducing to a minimum the accumulation of lost motion resulting from wear and insuring a more perfectly concentric working relation between the wearin'g surfaces of the bearing. 1

' A preferred embodiment of the invention Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December 23, 1918. I Serial No. 267,930.

wherein;

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

Figure l'is a view in front elevation oi? a connecting rod equipped-with the hereindescribed adjusting means.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View takenon line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View primarily in longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. .4 is a detail perspective view of a is disclosed in the accompanying drawings,

self-adjusting key Wedge employed in the novel construction. v

' In these views, the reference character 1 designates'a connecting rodhaving at one end a bearing comprising complementary parts 2 and 3, the former being integral with the connecting rod. and the latter clamped to; the former by bolts 4. Thebearing is lined with babbitt or other anti-friction metal bushings as indicated at 5 and 6. The bushing 5 ofthe member 2 is. seated therein in the usual manner and may be of the ordi nary construction, The bushing 6 of the bearing part 3 is of a novel construction and is adjustably mounted to move toward the bushing 5 to compensate for wear. Clearance-as indicated'at 7 is initially provided between the members 5 andfi topermit of a (predetermined maximum adjustment. The a j usting means comprises a pair of reversely opposed wedge members 8 interposed between the bushing 6 andb earing part 3, said wedges being symmetrically disposed with relation to the center line of the connecting rod and being respectively oppositely inclined to said center line at'an angle of about sixty degrees; the butt ends of the wedges being spaced in opposed angular relation. The engaging faces of. the members 3 and 6' are shaped to present corresponding plane surfaces to engage those of said wedges, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3. Between the butt ends on said wedges there is interposed a.

bearing by a coiled spring 12 compressed bewedge.

55 conic.

tween said wedge and the lower wall of said housing. A tubular stem 13 pro ects nitcgrallv and centrally trom the-base oisaid wedge, its free end extending through an 5 opening ll in the-lower all of the housing 11. and the spring 1:2 embracing said stem maintained in proper position. .The bore of the tubular stem is continued through the body of the wedge 9, as unheated at 15, and

.0 registers with an; orifice 16 in the bushing (3,

thus being adapted to admit. lubricating oil to the wearing surfaces ot the bearing and its journal. To induce a flow of oil through the hollow stem 13 as the connecting rod 15 sweeps through the supply of oil in the crank-case, (not shown) a lug 17 is formed upon the housing 11 with a concaved face 18 adjoining the opening of the stem. Said lug, dipping in the lubricant inthe crank- 2O -case wlll functlon in a manner 'well known in the art. 5 i i The key wedge 9 is provided with a hearing ext-cnsion'for engagement with the journo? in the form of a pair of pins ,1-9pteferably of hard fiber? but which may be formed of the' sa'nieanttfr-iction. metal that composes the bushing oft-he bearing, said pins being set into the apex o f the wedge one at each side of the passage lfiwand projecting,

in a radial relation to the bearing through orifices 20 formed ln the wallof the bushing I 6. Said pins are so pro "ortioned'in length that they will be presse by the spring 12 against the journal or, crank shaft {not shown) when the sameis embracedby the .15 'axis of the bearing, and since the key wedge 9 is in constant engagemmit with thewedges 8 there must result fron themovement. just described a spreading aparti'of the wed es S and a consequentadjustment of the 'bus ling u toward the bushing 5. Thus the. tendency toward looseness ofthe hearing which initiates ll lOYQlllBIlt of the systen'i 'of wedges results in an immediate adjustment of'the hearing bushings \vher by said tendency is over- The lower end of the. stem 13 is transversely apcrtu'red as indicated at 21 so that, (luring assembly, api'n 22 maybe inserted in said aperture, as indicated in dash lines in Fi to temporarily hold the key wedge retracted against the' tcnsion of the .spring and permit o'l sullicicnt initial sepal'tlllOlt'Of the bearingbushings to enable the -free t ngagement of the shaft or ournal therebetween, when the pin maybewithdraw-n:from the'key wedge to set in action the system of wedges and establish the proper adjustment of the bearing parts.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the invention provides a means whereby wear of a bearing is compensated "for cmitinuously as such wear occurs, so that the recurrent looseness and consequent manual adjustments which are to be contended with inthe present practice are cntirely avoided. It is evident that the useful life of the linings of bearings equipped with the described invention will be. considerably longer than ,is the case where a periodic looseness is permitted.- since it is well known that a loose bearing wears with greater rapidity than one which pro 'icrly fits the journal. It may be noted that without the pins 19 compensation for wear would-still automatically take place, but there would exist an undesirable. pressure of the bushing 6 against the journal. which would otter such resistance to the passage of oil-between the bearing surfaces as to prevent proper lubrication. The pins, however, relieve the wedges 8 and the bearing lining 6 from the force exerted b the spring 12 except when compensation for wear is (azcnrring. .\n additional advanjtage of a continuous adjustment such as the invention provides. as compared to periodic adjustments such as are made in the present practice. lies in the' fact that "high points" must occur in'a hearing which is adjusted after having acquired a degree of lost motion, while the continuous 'adjustment prevents-any appreciable deterioration of the bearing surfaces from their true cylindri'cal form and thus avoid formation of high points. pressureexerted. against the member (3 by the crank-shaft or journal is transmitted to the wedges H in a direction such that the component of said prcssurc acting toward the butts oi said wedges will be either zero or very slight. and since such a component would he still further materially reduced as regards its eti'cct in overcoming the spring 12. it is evident that no yielding of" the anember 6 will result t'rom such pressure of the journal thereupon.

Int-he following claims the term bearing inem'belf is to be understood as designating -aeither an adjustable lining such as shown at 6. or a'lining and its backing a-djustablc as a unit.

'hat we claim is:

1. A self adjusting bearing comprising a pair of coLiplcmentary bearing members.

one of which is adjustable toward the other. a regulating member ad ustable toward the bearing axis independently of said a( ljllst-' It. is to be noted that back maintain engagement of said regulating extremities ot'saidf adjusting wedges, and

means exerting a force urging said key-- wedge toward the axis of the bearing. 3. A self adj listing bearing comprising a pair of complementary bearing members, one of which is adjustable toward the other, amounting for the adjustable member, a pair of adjusting wedges interposed between -.the adjustable bearing member and its mounting at each side of the center line of thebearmg'and at an opposite inclination thereto, a key wedge engaging the butt extremities of said adjusting wedges, means exerting a force urging said lwy-wedge, toward the axis of the bearing, and a member carried by vsaid key-wedge engageabie 'with a journal received by said bearing for regulating the force transmitted to the ad- 'justable bearing throu 'h the wedges.

4. A self' adj ustingii pair of complementarybearing members, oneof which is adjustable toward the other,

a mounting for the adjustable member. a-

pair of adjusting wedges interposed. be-

tween the adjustable bearing member and its mounting at each side of the center line of the lwa'ring and at an.opposite inclination thereto, a key-wedge engaging the butt extremities of said adjusting wedges, means exerting a force urging said key-wedge toward the axis of the bearing, and a lubrica-nt passagejoint-ly fbrmed in said keywedge and adjustable bearing.

5. A seli-mlju'sting bearing comprising a pair of coiuplcmentary bearing members, one of which is adjustable toward-the other, a mounting for theadjustable member having a substantially central and radial ex-. tension, a pairo'f adjusting wedges interearing comprising a posed between the adjustable bearing member and-its mounting at each side of the center line of the bearing and at an opposite inclination thereto, a key-wedge housed within said extension of the adjustable bearing engaging the butt extremities of said ad usting wedges, and a spring within said extension urging key wedge toward the axis of the bearing and acting to spread the adjusting wedgesand thereby to shift the adjustable bearing member toward its fellow.

6. A self adjusting bearing comprising a pair of eomplen :entary bearing members one of which is adjustable toward the other, a mounting for the z-u'ljustable member, flanges formed upon the adjustable member at each end thereof embracing said mounting therebetween, a member movable toward the axis of the bearing and restrained from -lateraldisplacementtl'irough' engagement between said flanges, said member being carried by said mounting and a spring compressedbetiveen said member and the mount ing urging said member toward the bearing axis.

7. A self adjusting bearingcomprising a pair of complementary bearingmembers, one of which is adjustable toward the other, a imiunting for the adjustable bearing having a substantially central and radial extension, a pair of adjusting wedges interposed between the adjustable bearing and its n'iounting at each side of the center line of the bear ng and at an opposite inclination thereto, a key-wedge:housed within said extension of the adjustable bearing'engagmg the butt extremities of said ad usting wedges, a spring within said extension urging the key wedge toward the axis of the bearn' g and acting to spread the :u'ljusting wedges to thereby shi ft the adjustable bearing toward its fellow. atubular stem projecting outwardly from said key-wedge and extending into an opening in said extension, and a lug upon said opening for deflecting lubricant into said stem and through a pas sageregistering with the opening of said stem, jointly formed in the adjustable bearing.

In testimony whereof we sign this speci- FRED G. MEYER; BENJAMIN F. WHEELER.

Key-wedge and fication. 

